Ministry of Defence

Ukraine: Update

Earl Howe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Michael Fallon) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I have today laid before Parliament a Ministry of Defence Departmental Minute describing a further gifting package which the UK intends to make to the Government of Ukraine. As I stated in my Written Ministerial Statement of 19 November (Official Report: column 21WS), the Ukraine Armed Forces (UAF) face a chronic shortage of basic equipment. This gift meets a specific Ukrainian request for assistance in alleviating medical casualties, often severely wounded. The UAF urgently need individual first aid kits and have continued to request them from allies. We have previously gifted first aid kits on several occasions in 2015. The Departmental Minute describes a gifting package to the Ukrainian Armed Forces which is vitally needed and which will provide immediate benefit. The gift comprises 3,500 individual first aid kits (IFAKs). The total value of the gift is £478,800. Transport will be by military aircraft transfer, costing some £35,000.   Subject to completion of the Departmental Minute process, delivery is expected to be undertaken in April in sufficient time for the UK’s training courses for 2016-17.